Dragged Through the Hedge
by OnlyAtNight
Summary: Something wicked is stalking Hermione Granger. Help comes from an unexpected quarter. HGDM  Warning Bad Dumbledore.
1. Chapter 1

**Dragged Through the Hedge.**

**by Only At Night.**

**Chapter 1.**

I received the owl that morning with the normal mail delivery.

"_Come to see me this evening at 9pm in my office. Matter of the strictest secrecy. Do not tell anyone. Albus Dumbledore_."

I managed a covert glance up at the teachers table and the Headmaster winked at me. I nodded my head in return and tucked the note away in my robes. No one else at the Gryffindor table noticed me doing this; no one asked who the note was from. Ron was busy stuffing as much food into his mouth as was humanly possible while Harry was staring off into space. That had become normal behavior for my friends, not only were they acting like 17 year old boys but we just weren't as close as we'd once been.

* * *

We were half way through our last year at Hogwarts. The NEWTS were fast approaching and each day that passed I came closer to the end of my youth. Today, a Friday, progressed quite normally, I went to advanced double potions which was a joy with so few students having gained the suitable OWL to take the class. As head girl I'd finally earned the respect of most of the students and even managed to chat amiably upon occasion to Draco Malfoy who was head boy. Pansy Parkinson left after her OWL results to work with her mother at the Ministry; as did Vincent Crabbe; Lavender & the Patil twins all had apprenticeships in the beauty industry. Greg Goyle surprised us all and was taking honours work with Neville Longbottom as his partner in Herbology. More students were dropping out before their NEWTS as they got suitable job offers and there were only about 28 year seven's left now. 

I sat next to Susan Bones who was my best girl-friend by default. We had both lost friends and so had grown closer. We got along quite well even though we hadn't spent much time together in the first 5 years of schooling. I wanted to confide in her about my meeting later but didn't want her to think I couldn't keep a secret, especially one from the Head Master. Professor Snape still glared at us but he now encouraged us to also express ourselves. It was still a novel concept though so I managed to control my lust for hand raising.

"_What do you think the importance of the asphodel is in this potion Miss Granger_?" he asked me.

I looked up and rolled my eyes skywards thinking about an appropriate answer "_It's a binding agent to fuse the wormwood and snavelreep weed Sir_" I managed to reply.

"_Mmm_" he mused "_very good. 5 points to Gryffindor_." I smiled at him and gained a smirk for my troubles. Life was pretty good at this moment in space and time.

* * *

After lunch I had a free period so I did my laundry with Winky's supervision. Since joining the Hogsmeade AA Winky had come a long way towards finding herself as an Elf. She'd taken up some hobbies and enjoyed helping in the greenhouses and I was teaching her to knit. This, of course, thrilled Dobby who loved hand-knits with an almost perverse pleasure. Once a month we had a stall at the Hogsmeade markets and sold Elf Knits, which was our label. Now she was sober Winky didn't mind me ironing my own clothes and was fascinated by the lovely new iron my mother had sent me. It ran on rechargeable batteries and Winky loved the shot-of-steam feature. I was determined to leave it behind for her when I graduated as I knew she would love it. Of course ironing for an Elf was a simple matter of point and click, but Winky found my muggleness absorbing. 

The rest of the afternoon I spent working on my Athrimancy project and writing up notes from Potions. Malfoy and I shared a study and we both quietly worked at our own desks, occasionally thinking out loud and brainstorming an answer together. He was actually growing on me, and he had a brain which was something I had previously not know any guy to possess. The NEWTS preparation wasn't as bad as I'd feared, or led myself to fear, and taking fewer classes was a guilty pleasure. It gave me lots of time for revision, special projects and exploring the wizarding world in general. It was Professor Snape's suggestion – he'd told me that I could get a world class job with only a handful of NEWTS and I should enjoy life more. Certainly a surprising missive coming from him but it was when Malfoy agreed with him I guess it made sense to me. It was then that I toyed with the idea of working at the Department of Mysteries when I graduated and spoke to Mr. Weasley about it. He'd arranged for me to meet with the Head Unspeakable next weekend for a chat about my suitability. It'd be so cool to work there, they get up to all sorts of experimental magic and potions – or so I'd heard. I guess that's one thing about Unspeakables, they're kind of, well, secret.

After dinner I had a quick meeting with the prefects and then some tutoring of the first years. They were a pretty bright bunch this year and all they needed was some help with the "Swish & Flick" technique that always stumped new wand users. At 8:45 I was ready to head up to Dumbledore's office. I'd changed into jeans and a jumper as after hours it's quite alright for older students not to wear their uniforms. Our dorm was on the same floor as the Head's Office and it was only a 5 minute stroll around the corridor to get there.

* * *

"_Peppermint__ slugs_" I told the gargoyle which slipped aside for me. I rode the magical escalator up to the Office door which was ajar. Though I found that unusual, it'd never been ajar before, I knew I was expected so I just walked in. 

"_Head Master, it's me Hermione Granger_" I called out. All was quiet so I walked into the middle of the office _"Professor Dumbledore_" still no response. At this point I took out my wand, trained as I was to be on my guard, and moved towards another side door that was also ajar. I listened intently in the hope of hearing even a small sound that might tell me what was happening. Maybe he just forgot I was coming and was taking a nap. "_Professor_" I called once again.

"_Ah Miss Granger, come in_" I heard with relief. Old people, I mused, just a nap – I was right all along. I slipped my wand into my sleeve holster and pushed open the door. It was quite dark with only a couple of candles lighting the room.

"_I can come back later_" I said just in case he wasn't quite up to visitors. I wasn't too sure where he was as I'd never been in this room before.

SLAM – I jumped and swung around towards the door which had slammed shut. My wand was in my hand again and I froze on the spot in terror. My eyes were adjusting to the gloom when I felt a hand on my back gently running up my spine. It gave me the creeps and I pulled away and turned to face the hand's owner with my wand at the ready.

"_Hermione_" he whispered "_why so jumpy_?" It was the Head Master, but something didn't seem right.

"_Head Master_" I choked out "_are you alright, you don't seem yourself_." I backed away from him another step but he moved towards me and the distance closed.

It was then that I noticed he was wearing a silk dressing gown which was open down the front. God, how ghastly, he was naked underneath it. I quickly averted my eyes, maybe it was like my Grand-dad who used to like mowing the lawn in the nudie at night.

My back was now against the door and I tried to open it with my left hand whilst still holding my wand with my right and maintaining eye contact with Dumbledore. I was shaking all over and scared wondering if he was under the Imperius curse.

"_Come along child, sit on the bed with me_" he said as he stroked his beard "_It's been a long day and I want your company_."

All I could make was a mumbled "_No_" repeatedly as I fumbled with the door knob. He came closer to me and reached out with his withered old hand and grasped my breast and squeezed.

I panicked and pushed him away at this point and I heard him stumble as hit some furniture. Turning towards the door I continued to pull at it with both my hands.

"_Petrificus Totalis_" he wheezed out loud and I froze to the spot grasping the door knob with both hands. I didn't fall down as I was gripping so hard I adhered to the door.

It was then that my worst fears were manifested – Dumbledore's hands started to rub up and down my body and he unzipped my jeans dipping his hand inside and into my panties. The other hand went up my top and started to rub at my breast. If I could have screamed I would have and loudly as he then started to kiss my ears and neck moaning my name.

"_Hermione, my goddess_" he moaned "_I've wanted you since the first time I saw you 7 years ago_."

I was more than helpless but luckily the effects of the spell were short. After 2 minutes I felt myself start to unfreeze but stayed still hoping to be able to escape him.

Dumbledore rubbed his front, and from the feel of it his genitals, up against my back and he started to pant with excitement as his finger rubbed down into my panties further. All I wanted to do was vomit but I held still until I felt the spell totally wear off.

I pushed back hard against him and was rewarded with the sound of him falling down with a crash.

"_Hermione_" he wheezed but all I thought about was escaping.

"_Alohomora_" I pointed my wand and shouted at the door which quickly flung itself open.

I ducked out the door as I heard him regain his feet and a shouted "_Obliviate_" whizzed past my head as I did so.

I stumbled into the main office and leapt down the small flight of steps tripping as another spell missed my body - rolling over I shot a loud "_Expelliarmus_" at my pursuer knocking him down. Quickly I got to my feet and ran down the steps and out the exit in a panic. I didn't know where to go but knew I had to get out of the castle and away from Hogwarts.

* * *

I made it back to my room and grabbed a duffle bag out of my closet and started to stuff in whatever I could grab including my money bag and advanced spell book. Hearing a noise behind me I spun around and fired off the first spell that came to mind "_Incarcerous_" ropes flung from my wand towards the intruder. 

He ducked, luckily, as it was Draco Malfoy. "_Fuck Granger what's your damage_" he screamed at me.

I was obviously panicked as my clothes were askew, my hair wild and my breathing rapid. "_I have to escape the castle_" I managed to wheeze out "_Dumbledore_" I started to cry as my legs buckled and I fell down onto the floor into a tangled heap.

"_Shit_" Draco said and he locked the door with a strong locking charm. He quickly went into my bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush and paste, shampoo and conditioner and brush. Running over to my bed he stuffed it all into my bag and fell onto the floor with me. "_Come on girl, hold on_" he shook me "_I'll save you_."

All I could do was look at him with tears pouring down my grubby face. Draco shoved my bag into my lap and dug out a talisman that was on a chain around his neck "_Trust me"_ he demanded in a breaking voice staring into my tear-filled eyes.

"_Yes_" I managed to whisper before he gripped my hand, rubbed the talisman and said "_There's no place like home_."

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

"_Mistress Malfoy_" the elf addressed Narcissa taking her away from her private thoughts.

"_Yes Olive_" she replied "_what is it_?"

"_Uncle is here Mistress_"

Narcissa stood up from the bed she was sitting on and smoothed her gown before touching her hair to make sure it was in order. "_Show him in please_" she said.

Uncle could only mean one man, they called him Uncle as his relationship to the Black family was ill defined but greatly enjoyed by Narcissa. You could say he was her favourite and only uncle if picking ones relatives was an option.

"_Cissy_" the man said as he walked into the bedroom taking her extended hands in his and accepting the European cheek kisses as was their usual private greeting.

"_My Uncle_" she said in relief, and visibly relaxed after such a difficult night. She stepped aside so he could see the bed and the girl who slumbered there between the sheets.

Releasing her hands he walked to the bed and looked at her carefully. He took out his wand and quietly passed it over her to check her vital signs.

"_Has she slept all night_?" he asked as he gently touched her hair moving it off of her face.

"_No, she was hysterical when Draco brought her here so we called our doctor and he gave her a dreamless sleep potion. She occasionally flails her arms and cries out. Poor child_." Narcissa's beautiful face sagged in sadness at the thought of the child's torment.

"_Do you have any idea what happened to her_?" she asked, "_Draco said it had something to do with the Old Man_."

"_Yes, well, that_..." Uncle started "_He's dead. He was found by a house elf this morning and the Ministry is investigating_."

Narcissa's hand flew to cover her mouth in shock "_What_!" she loudly exclaimed, making the girl on the bed turn her head and moan. They both quickly turned to looked at her but she quietened immediately.

Uncle took her hand and they both sat down on the settee in the room before he explained.

"_As soon as Draco came back to the castle early this morning he sent me his patronus and we met to chat_" he began "_I didn't go up to see Dumbledore as I knew the Old Man must be up to his tricks again so I thought I'd bide my time before addressing the issue. Minerva woke me up at 6 when she was woken herself by the elf and we both went together to see what had happened. I called the Aurors, specifically Cousin Tonks, then the castle was locked down_."

"_And what do they think happened_?" she asked.

"_It looks like he fell and hit his head on the edge of his desk. There was a lot of blood and he was wearing a dressing gown so they suppose he came out to his office in the night and slipped over. Hopefully that will be the end of that_" he said. "_Fawkes is missing, so is Dumbledore's wand and all the portraits were asleep when it happened so there are no witnesses_".

"_Has anyone noticed Hermione missing_?"

"_Nothing has been said. Everyone had breakfast delivered to the house dormitories and because she shares an apartment with Draco he certainly hasn't said anything_."

They shared a quiet moment of reflection before Narcissa sighed "_Well, what now? Do you have any ideas_?"

"_I supervise her project work and am closer to her than Minerva. Draco and I came up with a story, simple and concise. She received an owl from a family friend to say her Grandmother is ill and called me because of the late hour as she didn't want to wake Minerva. I took responsibility and sent her home via a portkey I already had for my own house students, so it's untraceable by the Ministry. In all the commotion about Dumbledore I forgot to tell Minerva and will make a plausible excuse when it is noticed that she's missing_".

Narcissa nodded her head in agreement. The plan seemed sound. "_Can she stay here in the meantime_?" she asked looking towards the bed with what could only be described as motherly affection.

"_If it's alright with you then that would be for the best_" he replied patting her hand with a smile on his old face.

Uncle stood up from the settee and went back over to the bed for a last look before departing. It was then that Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him, she must have sensed his presence. A small smile appeared on her face as recognition dawned on her.

"_Professor Flitwick_" she whispered hoarsely "_What happened, I had a terrible dream_?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

By mid morning the castle and dormitory lock-down was over. The students had a class-free day and wandered down to lunch as per usual. Gryffindor prefects organised a house friendly match of quidditch for after lunch to help relieve the tension that all of Hogwarts felt at the moment. News travelled fast and soon all the students knew that their Headmaster was dead. The story that circulated said that he'd had a heart attack, he was old, the story was more than plausible under the circumstances.

Of course, no one in Griffindor noticed Hermione was missing. Nor did Draco enlighten them. The only person who noticed was Luna Lovegood and Draco told her about the portkey and her Grandmother. Luna accepted the story and nodded sagely. She was trustworthy and wouldn't spread rumours but would probably tell her boyfriend Neville Longbottom if he asked. That was the good thing about Luna, she was loyal to her friends – Draco suspected that the scatterbrained exterior was just a front. He appreciated that about the blonde, beyond her quirks she had hidden depths. The rest of her house probably assumed Hermione was in the Library studying, class-free did not mean she couldn't finish off her homework or research some-such other thing as was her norm.

The talk at the Slytherin table was all centred on what a good thing the Old Man dying was. He was a bug-bear to all those not of the "light-side persuasion" and his death was not to be mourned, on the contrary it was a thing to be celebrated however quietly it was done. Most girls in Slytherin had been warned when they started school not to be alone with Dumbledore and if they were ever called to his office then they should take Professor Snape with them. They never questioned that advice nor wondered why, it was assumed that having a witness with them would protect them from being misinterpreted in some way. The real reason was far more sinister and the parents knew by rumour that Dumbledore was not to be trusted with their children. It was a pity this information had not travelled beyond their house.

During the lock-down the staff met to discuss what was to be done. An owl from the Minister of Magic appointed Minerva as acting Headmistress and Professor Filius Flitwick as her second. All staff were relieved at this as being the head was, in a word, a headache. The paperwork was horrendous as would be the issues relating to the investigation of Dumbledore's death. Minerva had owled Aberforth Dumbledore at the Hogs Head Tavern but had not yet received a reply. She suspected an Auror would go to meet with him but just in case she thought a trip down there after lunch would be a good gesture. Severus offered to accompany her. The Headmaster's office was full of things that would need to be boxed up and Gringotts would contact them if there was a Will. Otherwise Aberforth was the next of kin so she suspected he would inherit everything that was left of Albus' property.

There was no doubt in the minds of the staff, as was determined from their discussion, that anything other than an accident had caused Dumbledore's death. Filius was more than happy to keep it that way and he agreed with the general discussion regarding the infirmity of the old Headmaster.

"_Enough said_" he thought, though it would be interesting to view Miss Granger's memories for his own curiosity. If she had accidently killed Dumbledore in self defence then he thought that no one should be the wiser.

Draco decided not to attend the quidditch match with his house-friends, he feigned a headache and told them he was going back to his room for a quiet lie down. He'd decided to use his portkey to go home and check up on Hermione and talk to his mother. They'd been much closer since his father died in a death-eater attack on a Muggle home, it was a relief to be rid of the man who'd been cold and controlling towards Draco for years. His mother was another story, cowed by her husband into servitude and controlled by a compulsion charm she had blossomed emotionally since his demise. Being with her was a pleasure for Draco and they'd become the best of friends. That's why he didn't hesitate to take Granger to his mother when the trouble happened, he knew she would protect the girl. He made it back to his rooms unnoticed by anyone and went into Granger's room to pick up a book from her nightstand "The Origin of the Species", strange he thought but she was in the middle of reading it and might like it for her stay at the Manor. He looked around the slightly untidy room but could see nothing else that looked like a necessity at the moment so he went to their shared sitting room with the book, took a deep breath to calm himself and said "_There's no place like home_".


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

When Draco walked into the guest bedroom at the Manor, Hermione was sitting up drinking tea and chatting to his mother. He felt a strange flutter in his chest and stopped momentarily to take a deep breath. As he had never before felt such an odd sensation he couldn't identify what it was or what had caused it. After the pause he carried on into the room.

The women stopped chatting and turned to him, both smiling broadly. He felt the flutter again and patted his chest as if it was indigestion. Maybe the fish he'd had for lunch had not been the freshest catch of the day.

"_Mother_" he said as he leant over to kiss Narcissa on the cheek. "_Granger_" with a nod to Hermione. "_How's it going_?"

"_Swimmingly dear_" Narcissa said and Hermione nodded her assent.

"_Thank you for bringing me here after I passed out Draco_" Hermione said "_I really can't remember why it happened, I'm sure I've never swooned before_."

His mother widened her eyes at Draco before he spoke. "_Ah_" was all he managed before a pause "_Yes, well Granger I thought you'd feel more comfy with my mother than at the infirmary. You know how impersonal it is there_" he brushed off her thanks with the quick lie. "_Mother wanted to meet you and I guess I just reacted without much forethought really_" he tried to look sheepish with his impish grin.

"_Well thank you anyway. Your mother says her doctor thinks I have a bit of a magical bug and I need to rest for a week. Apparently it's all ok with Professor Flitwick, he's going to get my homework and anything else that needs to be seen to_."

"_So you don't remember anything_?" he asked looking at her with his head at a bit of an angle "_How do you feel, OK_?"

Hermione nodded her head looking from Narcissa to Draco "_No nothing really. I remember waking up and seeing Professor Flitwick. I don't know, it's just strange I guess. Do you think I was hexed?_"

It was then that Draco remembered the book and handed it over to her. She smiled her thanks. "_Hexed, dunno Granger. Though stranger things have happened at Hogwarts, so maybe_."

"_Mmm_" she nodded "_always something strange there_" and she laughed softly.

"_Well I think you should get some rest now dear. I'll wake you later for dinner_" Narcissa said as she rose taking Draco's hand in hers "_Come along Draco, let her get some sleep_."

* * *

"_So you think she has amnesia_?" Draco asked his mother.

"_Well, it must be_" Narcissa replied "_I asked her what she remembered and she said nothing, she felt ill and remembers nothing until she woke up here. If not amnesia then perhaps an Obliviate spell gone wrong_."

Draco's mouth downturned and he sighed not knowing what to think.

" _I haven't told you this before but_..." she started before faltering as she chose her words carefully.

"_What is it Mother_?"

"_Well you remember your Aunt Bellatrix of course_?" she asked.

"_Ah yes, how could I forget_" he replied sarcastically.

"_No, don't think so badly of her. It wasn't all her fault really. But she had a, well let's call it a run-in with Dumbledore too. If you knew something about that then you'd understand a little more about her insanity and hatred for him_."

Draco became instantly on edge sitting up straight and staring at his mother with intent "_Tell me, I need to know, I want to understand this_."

Draco's need was so intense that it radiated from his very core. His mother realised that this conversation would be hard for them both. She remembered her sister from when she was a child, before the teenage madness that was probably in part inherited from their mother but also driven into her by that poor excuse for a man Dumbledore.

"_Where to begin...well one weekend she went to Hogsmeade and didn't come back. She was 15 and pretty independent and we all thought she'd eloped with Rabastan. When we didn't hear anything the next day I owled Father and he contacted the LeStrange family. Rabastan was at home with them and didn't know where Bella was, so Father called in the Aurors. Finally she showed up in Hogsmeade 4 days later at the Shrieking Shack and most of her memories where gone. What was left was demented and crazed. She had moments of lucidity but mostly it was not good. She'd been raped and battered and woke up screaming about Dumbledore. Father took her out of school and had a tutor teach her at home from then on. They couldn't prove anything against Dumbledore and he swore he didn't know anything about it. Being the Chief Warlock they couldn't force him to use veritaserum to make him tell the truth, it was his word against hers. Father was convinced it was him who abused Bella. After that we weren't allowed to go anywhere on our own, it was such a dark time_."

Draco had bowed his head and put his hand over his face to cover it. The truth hurt, all along he'd just thought Aunt Bella was a nutter but she'd been a victim of the worse kind of pain. He wondered what had happened to Granger and how she would suffer when she finally remembered what happened. Would she take a turn for the worse like his Aunt?

"_Did she tell you about her parents_?" Draco asked his mother. "_She says they died in a car crash but the word is a Death-eater raiding party targeted them. I think Aunt Bella was in the group that did it_."

A silent tear slipped down Narcissa's face all the way to her jaw and finally plopped onto her silk blouse. She turned her face away from Draco and he heard her sniff back more tears. He pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her.

After dabbing at her eyes she said "_We have to protect her Draco, I think she's been through enough already_."

Draco nodded his head in agreement. The time for bigotry had passed, Hermione needed a new family and his family needed her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

After using his portkey to travel back to his room at Hogwarts Draco had a lot to think about. He was sure he had feelings for a girl he used to refer to exclusively as "mudblood"; she had probably killed the Headmaster; the Headmaster was the worst kind of pervert known to humanity; his mother was mourning not only the loss of a misunderstood sister but she wanted to protect Granger from the same fate.

He sat on his bed drawing his knees up and holding them to his chest and rocked himself for comfort mulling over what he knew and wondering about what he didn't know. It was 9pm on Tuesday night and he didn't know if he could sleep.

Getting up off the bed he walked over to the fireplace and kneeled down to make a fire-call to the Slytherin common room.

"_Goyle are you there_?" he shouted into the fire.

A first year screamed in fright and scuttled away from the rug in front of the fire. After a second attempt to call his friend a 5th year student answered and said he'd find out where Greg was.

"_Ok, just ask him to fire-call me in the Head's room_" Draco replied in an exasperated voice.

10 minutes later the fire came to life and his old house mate Greg Goyle's face was in the fire.

"_Hey Draco, how you doing_?"

"_Yeah, good Goyle, you wanna come up for a while_?"

"_Cool, see you in 10_" his friend said and the fire-call ended.

10 minutes later there was a "shave-and-a-haircut" knock at his door. Not original but at least Draco knew who it was. He sauntered over and opened the door, the two boys did a knuckle tap in lieu of a hand shake before moving over to the sofa in front of the fire.

After the usual blokey-talk that teenage boys engage in, and the visit of a house elf with snacks, Draco got down to the point of the invitation.

"_What do you think of this Dumbledore shit_?" he asked as casually as he could.

"_It's mad aint it_!" Greg whispered looking around the room like someone might be listening. Finally convinced they were alone he said "_Like, you know I hang with Longbottom, well he reckons the Gryf's say it's some kind of conspiracy and he was murdered. They're all really spun out by the whole thing and blame Snape_."

"_Why the fuck would they blame Snape. I mean they were like mates weren't they_?" Draco was totally exasperated by the Gryf's hate Slytherins mentality "_You'd think they'd just get over it_ _and beat a different drum for once_."

Goyle nodded his head in agreement "_Longbottom's cool you know. Not all Gryf's are arseholes like we always thought. How's Granger by-the-way, she thawed out at all_?" he asked.

"_We get on. She's smart but not uptight like she used to be. Since the thing happened we've been getting on_." "The thing" that went unsaid was the death of Draco's father, the driving force behind his bigotry. The other "thing" that generally went unsaid was the death of Granger's parents and the divorce of Greg's parents. As a teenager lots of things went unsaid in their conversations and were referred to simply as "the thing". They never needed to spell out what exactly "the thing" was as it was obvious from the context of the conversation. Boys!

"_Where's Granger by the way_" Greg asked looking about. He was unlikely to find her under the throw cushion on the sofa but still he looked under there as well as up at the light fittings. Nope, she wasn't up there either!

"_Wiv-me-mum_"

"_Huh_?" Greg queried "_Where is she_?"

Draco thought he might have given too much away by answering truthfully but he'd already said it.

"_Did you say she's with your mum_?"

"_Um, yep, I did actually_."

Greg looked surprised but only said "_fair nuf then_."

"_Don't spread it, OK_" Draco mumbled.

"_Na, it's cool Draco. Who'd I tell, no body'd believe me anyway_." He smiled and shrugged. "_Fancy a tote_" he pulled out a small zip lock bag "_Longbottom grows the best pot in his Granny's greenhouses. S'not illegal_." He began to roll a doobie as Draco nodded his assent. It was true, Muggle pot was a legal potion ingredient in the Wizarding world and wasn't considered a narcotic.

The boys chilled out on a smoke of "Nev's best" and finished off the tray of food the elf had brought earlier. They talked bull-shit and laughed at inane topics.

"_You ever been in Love_?" Draco asked casually in a pall of exhaling smoke.

Greg sighed and leant back on the sofa "_I love my Gran_" he said wistfully "_and my Sister's ok too_."

"_I meant a girl dummy_" Draco replied sarcastically.

Greg scratched at his chest for a minute, then his head "_Um, well I fancy Nev a bit_" he managed to say offhandedly.

"_Nev, you mean Longbottom_?" Draco tried not to look too disgusted, after all Greg was his mate and mates are supposed to understand these things.

"_Yeah, we had a threesome make out with Luna when we were stoned last weekend. It was really fun_, _he's a good kisser, so's she_."

"_Ok, I mean, sure whatever rocks your boat Goyle_."

"_Cool_" Greg said and lit another smoke.

"_Yeah, cool_" Draco said as he took his turn. Though the look on his face clearly said he was not going to join that party anytime soon. He really didn't think asking Greg for advice about Granger was going to help him at all. Maybe playing it by ear would be the best thing.

Finally they said their good nights and Greg curled up on the sofa whilst Draco went to bed to sleep away all his cares.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6.

Narcissa was thoroughly enjoying her time with Hermione. When she was married to Lucius her days consisted of Ladies tea, shopping and organising dinner parties for her husband's Death-eater cronies. As a teenager she'd been a good student whilst at Hogwarts and was particularly gifted at spell casting. So to keep her hand in she worked her way through the Malfoy family library of spell books these last 16 years and knew a thing or two about spells the average witch did not. That's why Hermione's behaviour troubled her in many ways. Not just her memory for certain events but her strange habit of repeating herself. It appeared that Hermione may be under the influence of a hex or curse that was modifying her memory, and had been for at least a year if their conversation was any indicator. Narcissa knew enough about the spells and incarnations of the dark side to wonder if something was indeed amiss in her young friend.

"_Draco told me you lost your parents, I'm so sorry_" she mentioned during their conversation on the second day of Hermione's stay at the Manor.

"_Yes, but you know it's strange, I just don't remember very much about what happened or even what they were like. Do you think it's strange not to remember your own mother's eye or hair colour_?" she asked Narcissa. "_I also have odd dreams, like my mother was not really who she said she was_."

"_That is odd dear. But it's just the trauma of the loss, when did it happen_ _at least a year ago wasn't it_?"

"_I can't quite remember that either_."

"_Remember_"

"_Remember_" she repeated as if she hadn't already said it before.

"_And what was your father's name_?" Narcissa prompted her.

"_Jim, no James. I'm sure it's James_" she mused. "_No, no, that was Harry's father wasn't it_?" Hermione creased her brow in concentration. "_Linus is your husband isn't he, is he at work_?"

"_No dear it's Lucius,_ _he's dead now too. It's been about 6 months._"

"_Oh, I'm so sorry_." Hermione didn't know what else to say. She couldn't remember her own father's name and was unclear on details about Lucius. She remembered he looked somewhat like Draco, but the details were rather sketchy. She didn't feel sad, just a strange detachment that gave her a bit of a headache.

Narcissa could not help but be troubled by this conversation. You would imagine a smart girl like Hermione would not forget something as important as what her mother looked like, nor when she'd lost her parents. And she certainly would notice if she was making errors in her speech pattern.

Perhaps a floo call to Uncle Filius would be in order for later that night, his expertise might help as Narcissa was starting to think there was more to what was going on here than met the eye.

They played cards and drank Camomile tea until 10 pm then Hermione said she was ready for bed. "_Sleep tight Hermione_" Narcissa waved her goodnight. As soon as she left the room her house elf Nova was called.

"_Nova, please ask Uncle to come to visit tomorrow if he can._" With a bow the elf popped out of the Manor and directly to Hogwarts School.

* * *

Wednesday dawned and a new day began at the Manor. Breakfast in the Breakfast room; a walk around the gardens and a visit to the greenhouses; Hermione took a dip in the pool while Narcissa had her weekly appointment with her masseur. By the time her massage was over Hermione was dozing in the sunshine and Professor Flitwick appeared in the apparition point nearest the house that was reserved for family and very close friends. He stood still for a moment feeling the air and turned directly to the place Hermione lay on the sun lounge as he sensed her presence. Not wanting to startle her he turned towards the house and went to find Narcissa instead.

The mistress of the house appeared wearing a floor length silk turquoise caftan and carrying two long cool glasses of iced tea. Filius took one of the glasses from her and kissed her cheek.

"_How is your guest doing my dear_?" he asked as they sat down at a wicker table on the patio.

"_I think she may be bewitched Uncle. Her short term memory is in dire straits, she repeats words without noticing and she's very confused_."

They discussed what Narcissa had observed, her reasoning behind why she thought Hermione had been hexed and how to broach the topic with her. Filius decided they would all have lunch together and then could discuss the matter in a sensitive way with Hermione. Hopefully she would be amenable to finding an answer to the problems she was experiencing. He just hoped that she would not have a breakdown when he told her what had really happened at Hogwarts. They stood at the French windows together as the breeze gently swayed the muslin curtains and observed Hermione soaking up the mid morning sun on the deck beside the pool.

The sun was so very pleasant and Hermione relaxed and daydreamed her morning away. Strange thoughts often popped into her head, odd visions of people she didn't quite recognise and odder still were friends who didn't really seem all that friendly to her now. Old enemies seemed more friendly than the people she once called friends. Faces of people she wished she could only remember the names of, was that her mother, her aunt. She simply didn't know. When was the last time she'd shared a girly chat with Ginny, or been invited to the Burrow for a weekend break? When did Ron last have a kind word for her and not just a jealous throw-away line meant to hurt her feelings. She remembered Harry looking embarrassed and asking her to sit at another place at breakfast, when was that? She screwed up her forehead in concentration. Something about Luna, what was it she had said, if only Hermione could remember. The blond girl was definitely her friend, always had been, they'd said a spell together that Luna said would help her remember their friendship. She'd said it was vital that Hermione remembered, but just what was is vital for her to remember. Yes, perhaps Luna was the only friend she had left and she knew more than people gave her credit for. After this week, when she was well again, she'd seek out Luna and then she'd have her answers. After all, what was life without questions, and what were questions without answers.

Hermione came to lunch wearing one of Narcissa's silken caftans. She was a picture of elegance with her normally unruly hair up in a twist and Filius fleetingly imagined she reminded him of a student he'd known some 20 odd years ago. Pity there'd been so many girls passing through Hogwarts, he just couldn't place the face and shook off the dejavu.

The chat during the meal was small and friendly. The repast was pleasant, the conversation waiting to happen after the coffee. Hermione didn't feel ill at ease at any point, on the contrary she had never felt so comfortable. She felt that this was her real "other" life, the one that she would have led had she not been born a Muggle. What a strange thought.

After the meal they all adjourned to the sitting room and Filius began his awkward conversation.

"_There's something we've been keeping from you Hermione, but we did it for your best so please try not to be too upset_" he began.

Hermione looked from him to Narcissa and back again, slowly nodding her head "_I'm not really sick am I_?" she asked.

"_No dear, you're not_" Narcissa agreed.

"_So why am I here_?"

"_Something happened at Hogwarts, you went to Draco for help and he brought you here for safety. I don't think he would have done that if he hadn't genuinely thought it was for the best so he only had best intentions_."

"_Something happened_" she repeated the Professors words with a slight frown "_what was it_?"

"_Something to do with Professor Dumbledore_" he said and watched for any reaction from her. Other than the knitting of her brow in thought there was no adverse reaction to the news "_Do you remember what happened_?" he asked.

"_No_" she said "_I can't remember anything. It's not normal is it_?"

"_No, it's not_" Narcissa said kindly as she patted her hand. "_I think you've had your memory modified. Filius and I want to find out what's missing and why you're so confused. We also need to know exactly what has been happening to you at Hogwarts_."

Hermione nodded her head slowly, the fog swirling around her memories and dampening them ever so slightly suppressing her emotions.

"_Is the Headmaster alright_?" she asked in a quiet voice, suspecting the worst news.

"_Dead and gone_" the Professor gave a wave of his hand as if a feather was floating towards him and needed to be somewhere else. "_Dumbledore is dead Hermione_."

She looked from the Professor to Narcissa and then back again, feeling no real emotion attached to the news of Dumbledore's demise, all she could say was a simple "_Oh_". Nothing more, nothing less.

They chatted about Hogwarts and Hermione's time at the school. What did she remember, what gaps were there in her memories, what seemed out of place to her.

There seemed to be a definite gap appearing in Hermione's memories about 2 years ago from a few months before her 16th birthday. Her memories of her parents faltered about this time as did stories about her adventures with her peers. School work wasn't a problem, her witchcraft wasn't being affected only her specific memories of friendships and relations. After about an hour of questions and answers Hermione stretched out on the chaise whilst Narcissa passed her wand over her looking for any masking spells. She was surprised to find quite a few spells, some more complex than others. Both she and Filius were amazed that someone had managed to do this to Hermione but they were reluctant to start removing spells before they could have her better examined just in case they did more damage than they managed to improve. A specialist was needed, and that person needed to be good at what they did.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

Greg Goyle had grown up to be someone different to what everyone imagined him to be. He enjoyed school, had friends and was excelling in his studies. As he sat in the greenhouse working on his assignment with Neville he sensed that life was taking an interesting turn. Neville would look up at him and smile, occasionally brainstorm an idea out loud or even more pleasantly touch his arm to make a point. Content, that was the emotion he felt, plain contentment. Luna sat cross-legged on a bale of hay in the corner mumbling to herself. This was no surprise to Greg as Luna did this quite a lot. Neville said she was connecting to her inner self, she was deep and the universe flowed through her. It had to be right, no one could look that serene and glow with such intensity if their marbles were simply missing.

"_I have to owl Daddy!_" she suddenly burst out, leaping off of the hay bale and sweeping from the room. Both boys were surprised, Neville letting out a squeak of surprise. Then she was gone.

"_Deep_" Greg said. Neville composed himself, shrugged and nodded all at once creating a strange jiggling of his body. Who knows what was going on, but they were both sure that she would share with them when she knew herself and was more coherent.

* * *

"_Tap, tap_!" Xenophilius Lovegood looked around the garret room of his strange conical house. "_TAP, TAP_!" the noise came again this time more insistent drawing his eyes to the small round window and the owl perched precariously on the small ledge.

"_Oh, of course_" he smiled to himself and went over to open the window, it wasn't often he got owls at home and his thoughts were elsewhere on this warm morning. "_Hello Norman_" he said to the owl as he scratched him under the chin "_what news old man_?"

Norman the owl was neither old nor a man but a scratch under the chin was always nice especially when it was accompanied by an owl treat. Today it was a half eaten Iced Vo-vo but still, nice. He extended his leg balancing with a little side-ways hop until the message was removed and the biscuit devoured. Not a bad job being the Lovegood owl and he hopped onto the back of the nearest chair so he could enjoy the breeze from the still open window.

"_Hello Daddy, all is well, fear Not_." The message began. Who indeed was this Not that Xenophilius was to fear, surely not Nott? He shook his head to clear the thought and read on.

"_I think there's something wrong with my friend Hermione. Can you please scry for her where-abouts. Enclosed cat hairs, will that help? L(with a heart)_"

He took the small folded envelope over to his table and examined its contents under a magnifying glass. It did indeed look like cat hairs, but luckily there was one strand of curly brown hair that was more human than feline. Picking it up with tweezers he placed it aside in a petrie dish on his workbench. There was no real use in finding a cat's where-abouts if the owner was the one he was supposed to be looking for, but he knew Luna's heart was in the right place.

Xenophilius went to his book shelf and selected a soft well used leather bound journal, turning towards his glass cabinet whilst browsing the pages to select the right spell. Humming as he went about the job of choosing items, a bowl, feather, one bottle – no, the other bottle of liquid. He moved back to the work bench and arranged the items, book in left hand, right hand feeling about for his wand. All ready.

* * *

The morning progressed smoothly for Draco with only the usual minor upsets to tend to. First year spells in the corridor to correct and deduct points for, the minor scuffle of the 4th year girls fighting over the latest Witch Weekly poster, double potions – not a problem. The thing that concerned him the most was the fact that not one person, teacher or student, had mentioned Granger. It felt to him that she had simply slipped away from the group consciousness and had ceased to exist. Thursday mid-morning and she'd been gone for 4 days with no one being any the wiser except Greg, Luna and Professor Flitwick. Nothing even from their acting Headmistress McGonagall, not one side-ways glance in an unanswered question even in his advanced-transfiguration class. It was all very fishy, very fishy indeed. He would have even expected Professor Snape to say something, but alas not. He didn't seem to notice the Know-it-all was not in attendance. Fishy, and smelling fishier by the minute. The corridor traffic was thinning out as he headed to his late lunch and here was his opportunity, Potter on his own.

"_Oi, Potter_" he raised his voice to be heard eliciting a response from the dark headed boy.

"_What_?" how terribly civil the reply.

"_Have you seen Granger today_?"

"_Huh, um._.." Harry scratched at his head – he looked vague like he couldn't place who he was meant to have seen "_Nah_" he replied but Draco was certain that the look on his face had said it all. He simply didn't know who he was talking about. Very fishy. Maybe being around Weasley all these years had finally addled his mind to moronic standards. "_Later_" Harry said with an offhanded wave and went to his lunch table where Seamus and a couple of the other late eaters were starting on their sandwiches.

"_Whatever_" Draco had the last word. Neville, Greg and Luna were deep in conversation at the end of the Ravenclaw table, a sort of exclusion zone where tables mixed over late lunch, so he joined them picking up a sandwich to examine its contents. Ham salad, why not, plus a glass of OJ.

Conversation stopped, eyes were on him, accusing eyes. "_What_?" he said taking a step backwards with the sandwich half way to his mouth.

"_There is no Grandmother is there_" Luna said in a low menacing tone with Neville nodding in agreement his eyes piercing. Greg was mute his eyes rolling side to side in a "_didn't say nuffin'_" way.

"_Daddy scryed and I know where she is_" her voice lowered further "_Please tell me she's safe_" a soft whine.

Draco looked around to make sure no one was listening, due to the lack of students at this time of the day they were safe from prying. He quickly sat down, devoured the sandwiched, picked up another one and began.

"_She's at the manor, Flitwick knows, Mother is looking after her. There's something wrong with her and it's probably connected to Dumbledore_" he looked around to make certain no one was listening "_There's something odd, meet me after class in the Head's dorm_" they all nodded in agreement and finished their lunches with no indication anything was wrong.

Luna felt satisfied and wondered if the sandwich she had just ate was turkey, ham or lamb or perhaps a mixture of all three. Apple juice would fix that quandary and she drank slowly to wash down any remnants of the obvious Ministry meat experiment, an article for the Quibbler formulating in her mind.

The day dragged on for the students with three more hours of classes and homework discussions. Newts were approaching for the 7th years and all work was focussing on that exam to end all exams. Homework was no longer marked as pass or fail, it was now discussion papers and group work to hone knowledge already grasped or fill gaps that needed to be filled. Only 3 months to go and it would be all over for Draco and his posse. Luna still had another year of study but she excelled in the areas that interested her and her teachers had no complaints. Although she seemed vague they knew that it was just a facade and that if she applied herself she would succeed.

Strangely enough Luna did not have many friends in Hogwarts. Ginny Weasley had been her friend but that had gone strangely pear-shaped when she started to obsess over and eventually date Harry Potter. She was single minded in her need for Harry and everything else was cast aside in her quest for his favour including her friends. Luna wasn't a useful friend, if useful meant assisting her in the quest to become Mrs. Potter, as such she became collateral damage. This did give Luna the opportunity to observe Ginny in her machinations. She preened, she simpered, she did all the things a wily female did to attract a mate and it worked. Hook, line and sinker. Sadly Harry did not see what Luna saw, a small version of Molly Weasley at work – all front and no substance added with a liberal dose of spells to make her stand out in her chosen mate. Merlin save Harry before it was too late.

The Lovegood family had been close neighbours to the Weasley clan ever since Luna could remember. They saw each other socially and Ginny and Luna had played together as children. Her mother Aqua had not been terribly close to Molly, just neighbourly as would be expected. Molly always kept her distance unless it suited her plans, "_Be careful_" Aqua had told her daughter once many years ago "_Things aren't always as they seem_."

Sitting in her divination class in the tower Luna was only half listening to Professor Trelawney waft on about feathers and black hens when she felt a piercing gaze on her. She turned to see Ginny looking at her with slitted eyes and a twisted sneer on her normally expressionless face. Luna's eyes widened in surprise and question before Ginny mouthed at her "_I'm watching you_". She was indeed. What had brought on this surprising turn, and why the sudden interest she thought. Did this have something to do with Hermione, did this all have a connection? She ignored the red-headed girl and answered the question directed at her by the Professor before drifting back into her thoughts laced liberally with bunnies and vanilla flavoured biscuits.

* * *

Classes were finished for the day and Harry Potter sat down on the side of his bed and removed his tie with a sigh of relief. Ron was still down in the common room arguing the latest Cannons scores with Seamus and it was blissfully quiet to be alone for a short time. He opened his school satchel that lay beside him and took out his homework planner, it slipped from the bed and fell to the floor and he reached down to pick it up when a photograph fell out from between the back pages. Scooping it up and adjusting his glasses he gazed at the 3 children, 2 boys and a girl, wondering when it had been taken all those years ago. Yes, that was it, before a Quidditch match, he looked to be about 15. The edges of the photo were well worn meaning at some time he'd held this photo a fair bit and it had vast meaning for him. However he now just looked at it apathetically and wondered why it had meant so much to him at the time. Sure it was him and Ron in their match gear but the girl, with mid length curly hair. No, not much recollection. He turned it over and looked at the back "_Golden Trio_" it said in his scrawl. They didn't look so golden to him, just 3 kids on an Autumn afternoon. But she was pretty, he touched the photo and saw how happy she was. Maybe it would come back to him at some point, and he tucked the photo away back to where it had fallen from.

* * *

Muggles who have read Macbeth think that the Witches are a fantasy of Shakespeare's imagination. Three Scottish hags cooking up an unpalatable stew in their back room. However those in the know do know better. Molly Weasley hummed as she brewed her potions in the cellar room behind the secret door that even her irascible twins didn't know existed. Her double-life was well concealed as was her blackened soul behind spells and incantations of which her husband Arthur knew not what. No one really knew Molly, not her now deceased mother, her aunt nor her brother who lived in Wales. Certainly not her children, though Percy did come close until she cursed him away from the family. She was an anomaly that only Albus Dumbledore had known, for you see, he had created her. All those years ago in Hogwarts he chose the plump red-headed girl because she blended in so nicely with her surrounds and no one would suspect she was his minion. Oh yes, no one would suspect. Luckily he didn't fancy red-heads being one himself, abusing his sister Ariana and the suspicion that Abeforth then pointed at him kept him away from that class of person in the future. But Molly had her other uses, very useful in fact and a mind that was easy to control even when all her other strengths were present. Now that Albus was dead it didn't deter Molly from her mission, she hummed and brewed and plotted and planned. One day soon her plans would all come to fruition, her family would have a fortune and would be successful. All those in her way would cease to exist. She smiled, hummed and got on with her work as the clock ticked down the time that would see her loving husband home from the Ministry and her back in the kitchen a model wife again.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the Head student's rooms Draco Malfoy dropped his school bag on the table and arranged his afternoon work before preparing for his guests. He was an organised lad and had to be if he was to finish his studies and take over the family companies currently under the guidance of a Trust his Grandfather Abraxas had set up more than a decade ago. His father, Lucius, had only outlived his father by 12 months but the Trust was well received as it gave him the leisure to follow his other interests. He was happy to have Draco succeed Abraxas as business had not been of not much interest to him, all those hours in an office and the meetings – such a foolish waste of time. Narcissa was more interested and she had been in favour with her Father-in-law who saw in her wit and talent his own son lacked. He was more than pleased to have organised the match with the Black family for the joining of their two houses both financially and genetically. Draco had grown more and more like his mother and less like his father pleasing Abraxas greatly. The Malfoy family would grow and flourish for another generation at least.

"_Shave and a haircut_" knocking at the door. Draco dropped his tie on the back of the chair with his robe and went to open it welcoming his guests. They all went over to the lounge setting of two armchairs and a three-seater to make themselves comfortable. Draco shared around cans of his favourite soft drink and a bowl of crisps which the other teenagers enjoyed with gusto.

Neville was the first to break to business "_So tell me what's happening_" he asked directly.

Luna and Greg both turned towards Draco all ears waiting for his story to begin.

"_Well_" he said...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8.

Discussions, discussions. What did they know, what didn't they know, what was pure speculation. Luna shared that she had never trusted Dumbledore, there was something off about him. Greg agreed, but Neville was noncommittal. His Grandmother Augustus supported Dumbledore because of the Order of the Phoenix and her son's maiming whilst a member, it was all for the greater good. Draco shared about his Aunt, which caused considerable pain for Neville. However Draco did point out that he did not support her mania, but only wanted to share some of the reason for it as was told to him by his mother. Every family had some weak points and family could not be chosen at a whim. On this point they all agreed. It seemed that this now tight-knit group all had vivid memories of Hermione, at no point did they lose anything to do with her, there must be a reason why they alone remembered her when so many others in the Castle seemed to have forgotten.

"_We did a ritual together, a memory ritual so we would never forget each other_" Luna shared.

"_Why_?" Greg asked "_What made you think to do something like that, is it a girl thing_?"

"_No_" she replied "_I just had an inkling that something was wrong, we did the ritual just before her 16__th__ birthday. You know that at 16 a witch changes_" the boys blushed a little "_no, not just that_" Luna said exasperated. "_When you turn 16 your true self manifests. I knew that Hermione was changed, I could see she was masked and that something would be happening soon so I wanted her to remember me and for me to do the same for her just in case she became something else_!"

Neville got a strange look on his face as he tried to understand what Luna was getting at. Change, where had he heard about that before... his Uncle Nigel sprang to mind... Yes that was it, something Nigel had once said when he was wondering why Neville wasn't as magical as he should be. "_You mean, she's a Changeling_!" he said in an excited tone "_Like in the ancient legends_?"

Luna gave him a look, it took a moment but Draco caught on and sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and got a similar look. Greg looked at his three companions and knew something was up, something he didn't quite understand. "_She's an elf_?" he asked finally finding some hidden knowledge from a childhood story.

"_Yes_" Luna said simply "_I think it could be explained like that_."

It could have all been simply more supposition on the part of the excited teens, but the legends of Changelings living amongst the Wicca people were alive and well. Hermione was extremely intelligent, lovely and alluring. The boys all agreed in this, Greg blushing when he admitted he too had noticed. It was not believed to be uncommon for the Fae to place a child with a Muggle couple in anticipation that the child may be accepted as a witch or wizard and eventually admitted into the magical world. They were fascinated and discussed the topic at length only breaking at 6pm when a house-elf popped in to announce dinner would soon be served in the Great Hall.

"_Don't think ill of her please_" Luna begged her companions "_if we're right then it's not her fault, it doesn't change who she is. It only creates more questions like - did Dumbledore know and was he trying to manipulate her for his own use_?" They all nodded in agreeance, if they were right there were certainly more questions than answers and Draco simply had to speak to his Uncle and Mother so they could discuss this.

* * *

At the Manor that very same night Filius and Narcissa were deep in discussion with a wizard they both knew who was adept at curse breaking. Whilst it was not quite the same as getting a magical maladies healer from St Mungo's hospital they felt he might be able to ascertain the level of spells that surrounded Hermione and where they should start the cleansing process. The Curse Breaker was a family friend as well as a master of his art, he could be relied on to be discreet in his dealings with the family. Hermione tried to remain calm but her mind was still quite muddled and she was becoming anxious as the discussions ensued.

After an hour or so of investigation they all moved to the ritual chamber which Narcissa thoroughly cleansed of all negative energy. The last thing she wanted was any lingering foulness that Lucius may have invoked in here to remanifest itself. Hermione changed into an undyed linen robe that the Curse Breaker provided and sat in the middle of a circle he created with salt. The salt was intended to contain her and whatever tried to escape from her during the cleansing. The wizard, who's name by-the-way was Phanot, walked around the outside of the circle with a smouldering bundle of herbs creating a mist of sweet smelling smoke that proved intoxicating to all those in the enclosed room. He chanted and swished the bundle rhythmically emphasising certain words and pointing the bundle towards Hermione. She felt hot and tired, her face became quite red and she imagined she saw mists of ghostly beings dancing around her. She tried to say something but her mouth was thick and her tongue would not respond to her commands, so she gaped like a fish out of water and little "_ack, ack_" sounds were all she could make.

Whilst Narcissa had read about these sorts of cleansings she had never participated in one and observed with interest. She was certain that Hermione would benefit from the ritual and that whatever happened would be for the best. Filius had of course seen it all before so he was prepared lest a demon tried to escape the girl. He knew he wasn't being too melodramatic, demons were real and if Dumbledore had done this to Hermione then who really knew to what level his depravity would manifest itself. He was more than aware of the damage that had befallen Bellatrix and did not want Hermione to suffer the same fate.

Phanot stopped for a moment and closely observed Hermione. "_I shall start by removing the glamour_" he stated. He moved his wand, swishing and flicking in a rehearsed manner for a good few seconds and slowly Hermione's appearance started to change. "_This spell is the oldest_" he said and continued to walk around the circle with the smudge stick.

Narcissa's hand suddenly flew to cover her mouth and she mumbled out a name. "_What_?" Filius questioned her in a low yet demanding voice.

"_Look_" she said quite startled "_Do you remember Mandrilla, surely you remember her_?" She was pale and shocked at the transformation that was occurring before her very eyes. "_She was on exchange from Spain in my 5__th__ year, we were told she'd gone home very suddenly because there'd been a family tragedy_!"

The girl who was Hermione now looked very much like someone else. Filius wracked his memory wondering if he did indeed remember a Spanish exchange student from 21 years ago and what had indeed been her fate. The memory was hazy to be certain, but yes it was quite possible that this girl was the spitting image of that very same lass. Of course she'd not been in his house, she'd been sorted into Slytherin that's why Narcissa recognised her and his own memory was proving to be so lacking.

"_Shall I continue_" Phanot asked coming to a halt in front of the pair "_there's lots more hidden things just lurking under the surface I can reveal quite simply_."

They looked to Hermione, she was very quiet and appeared relaxed and dozing on the floor. "_Hermione_" Filius asked "_can you hear me_?"

She opened her eyes which had been transformed into a sea of green swimming in a face with a decidedly olive complexion. Her hair was now a deep russet brown, still wavy but discreetly managed and no longer a wild mane. "_Yes_."

"_How do you feel child_?" he asked hesitantly.

"_Tired, drained_."

"_Can you take a bit more do you think_?"

She nodded in assent, she didn't think a bit more would make her feel any worse for wear "_Go on, I have to know_." She was looking down at her hands which were a different colour and shape than she remembered. Her nails were pointed and her fingers were longer. She raised her palms to feel her face and hair, her mouth strange to the touch, incisor teeth slightly sharper, lips fuller. She even imagined her ears felt pointed as she ran her fingers over their tips but that couldn't be right.

Narcissa observed the exploration and did indeed see the points to her ears however subtle they were. There could be a simple explanation to all of this if she was correct in her thoughts. Mandrilla had been part Gypsy and part Fae, a potent combination of beauty and sexuality combined with magical talent that was almost unheard of at Hogwarts at that time. If this was her, or her child, then it was hard to imagine what was happening or what would happen next. Her biology was different as were her looks and that meant big changes for Hermione. All Narcissa knew for certain was that it was very exciting and Hermione was opening up like a summer rose before their eyes.

Phanot removed all the glamour's and identified some more spells that needed to be removed. "_She has strong memory charms but we should remove the memories to a pensive first to see them so as not to damage her frail state. If they are too traumatic then we should be careful what we uncover_."

Filius and Narcissa agreed that it would be best to look at the memories first for the sake of safety. That could wait until tomorrow though as Hermione was clearly exhausted already. The circle was broken and Narcissa escorted Hermione up to her room for a relaxing cup of chamomile tea. The men went to the study and had a tall glass of fire whisky each to sooth their nerves.

* * *

By 10 pm Draco had finished his rounds of Hogwarts corridors with Neville as his Prefect. All was quiet and only one couple was found out after the curfew snogging near the Ravenclaw tower. They were a curious house after all so Draco simply told them to use protection and sent them back to their house with a warning. He'd been caught out with girls before and didn't want to really ruin anyone else's romantic pursuits. There had to be some pleasures in being a teen in a mixed sex boarding school.

As they walked they'd discussed the whole "_Hermione as a Changeling_" subject quite rationally and Neville thought it a possibility that she was not as she seemed. Neither of them ever had much contact with Muggles as children so their knowledge was scant. Maybe being a Fae could explain why Hermione was such a fabulously talented witch. Still, they weren't certain and didn't want to get carried away with their wild fantasies surrounding a girl they both obviously admired. Greg was right about one thing, Nev was definitely cool for a Gryff and somewhat more knowledgeable than Draco had originally thought. They even stopped for a puff of weed before exchanging a goodnight wave. Draco slept like the peaceful dead that Thursday night.


End file.
